Mel Mireault


I'm Beckett's aunt (“Aunty Mommy” to those in the know, since Little Bee is my identical sister’s son) and the creator behind some of the modern abstract acrylic and mixed media pieces you see here. 

I have the immense privilege and joy of getting to spend a lot of time with our Little Bee. I've seen him struggle, but more importantly, I've seen him exceed all expectations. And wow, is he ever determined, and battles his challenges with a cheaky little grin. 

Through the lens of abstract art, I aim to capture the essence of hope, resilience, and beauty. Every creation is infused with love and purpose, echoing Beckett's spirit of perseverance and joy. He is the inspiration for my art you can find here. Each stroke of color and texture is not just an expression of creativity but also a reflection of his journey.

- Melanie
Mel is now accepting commissions.  If you’re interested in having a custom piece created, please feel free to reach out for more details. 

You can find some of Mel’s past work
here.



Suzanne Mireault


I am Beckett's great aunt, embarking on an inspiring journey where art meets purpose. Each stroke of acrylic paint on canvas now carries profound meaning for me. Together with my niece Mel, we have founded Little Bee Gallery with the hope of making a lasting impact on Beckett's life.

As an abstract landscape artist, I find my inspiration in the natural wonders that surround me. Whether I am on the stunning shores of Lake Winnipeg in the summer or the serene Gulf waters of Florida in the winter, the simple act of opening my eyes ignites my creativity. The captivating water, interplay of light, ever-changing clouds, lush trees, and golden sand effortlessly fuel my
artistic vision.

It is a profound honour for me to donate my artworks to support Little Bee's journey. We invite you to explore our gallery in the hope that you will find something that resonates with you and finds a place in your home. Together, we are creating opportunities. Your support will empower Little Bee to access the resources he needs to thrive and achieve his full potential. For this, I am deeply grateful.

- Suzanne
Suzanne is now accepting commissions.  If you’re interested in having a custom piece created, please feel free to reach out for more details. 

You can see some of Suzanne's past work here.



Friends of Little Bee


From time to time we may feature available artwork from other artists who want to be a part of Little Bee Gallery's mission. We are so greatful to our Friends of Little Bee.

Colette Balcaen


Winnipeg, Manitoba
BFA, University of Manitoba

Colette Balcaen is a Franco-Manitoban artist whose work blends textiles, drawing, sculpture, and mixed media. Inspired by her heritage, she uses threads and textiles to  bring history and identity to life in her art.

She has exhibited widely in Canada and internationally at venues such as La Maison des artistes visuels francophones, the Canada Textile Museum, and the Biennale internationale du Lin de Portneuf. Highlights include her award-winning Story Keeper at the 2015 Port Moody Wearable Art Awards and her 2020 installation Farandole, celebrating Métis culture in France.

Facebook: colettebalcaen
Instagram: colette_balcaen

Laura Bryg

Laura’s journey into photography began in seventh grade when she received her first camera—a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye—for Christmas. That same year, she won her first black-and-white architectural photography competition, sparking a lifelong passion.

After retiring, Laura rediscovered photography when her husband gifted her a Canon digital camera and a professional-grade lens. From that moment, she was hooked. She now travels extensively across the U.S. to capture stunning landscapes, with favorite destinations including Florida, Yellowstone, Alaska, the Great Smoky Mountains, and the Palouse. Her love for photography has also taken her abroad, with Tuscany and Iceland holding a special place in her heart.

For over a decade, Laura co-chaired the Sarasota Camera Club, mentoring aspiring photographers and fostering a love for the craft. Today, she serves as president of the Manatee River Arts Guild, continuing to support and inspire fellow artists.

Bob Cameron


Bob Cameron is a lifelong nature enthusiast and a certified Florida Master Naturalist. With a passion for capturing the beauty of the natural world, he has spent much of his adult life photographing wildlife, including birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. His photography has taken him across the U.S. and Europe, seeking out breathtaking landscapes and unique locations.

A former member of the North American Nature Photographers Association, Bob also co-chaired the Sarasota Camera Club alongside his wife, Laura, for a decade. His work has earned numerous national and local photography awards, a testament to his dedication to creating high-quality, detail-rich images. Whether capturing the delicate textures of nature or the grandeur of sweeping landscapes, Bob’s photography reflects his deep appreciation for the world around him.

Patsy Kline Hall


Patsy is a passionate photographer whose love for the art began in childhood with her trusty Brownie camera. Throughout her parenting years, she contributed to various St. Louis publications and magazines, becoming an active member of the local photographic community through organizations like the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and the American Society of Magazine Photographers (ASMP). Influenced by renowned artists such as Ernst Haas and Sherman Hines, she has honed her craft through numerous workshops, blending technique with a unique
creative aesthetic.

Now semi-retired in Florida, she finds inspiration in the vibrant wildlife and stunning landscapes around her. Transitioning from black and white darkroom work to digital nature photography, she captures the beauty of her surroundings while sharing her passion with family, friends, and clients.

Bonnie Jean Heath


Bonnie finds joy in creating fused glass pieces that reflect the beauty of sunsets, forests, flowers and the turquoise waters of beaches around the world. Works also include glass trays, candles, coasters, and garden ornaments. Dragonflies appear often in her work as a symbol of transformation and
self realization.


Melinda Mcfadden Houston


Melinda Mcfadden Houston is a mixed media artist drawn to wilderness, waters and ocean where she lives. A native of El Paso Texas she started painting at a young age where the climate offered her constant changing clouds, light and colors that guided her brush with endless inspiration. Melinda and her husband travel extensively so her works are from distant places to hidden mountain ranges in Colorado. She hopes that her work will inspire others to be conscious about our earth, mountains, rivers and ocean.

Roger Lafreniere


My work has grown and changed over the years, as I have, but not necessarily at the same rate. It floats in and out of flirtations with semi realism and abstraction. Both of these genres are important to my opus because they permit me, as well as the viewer, to input their feelings into the work. 

Roger Lafreniere’s artistic journey spans five decades, showcasing a remarkable evolution in his work. His stunning pieces grace some of Canada’s premier corporate boardrooms and have been displayed in countless galleries across the country. To explore Roger’s full artistic profile, visit his website at rogerlafreniere.com.

Dave Maddocks


Since 1984, Dave established himself as a talented Art Director in the advertising and graphic design industry, where his keen sense of color and composition flourished. As an award-winning graphic designer, he maintained a clear distinction between his commercial work and personal artistic pursuits, believing each served a different purpose in his creative journey.

Throughout his life, Dave’s artistic expression thrived in various forms, including snow sculpting, drawing, and plein air painting with oils and canvas amidst the breathtaking landscapes of the Manitoba wilderness. He developed a deep appreciation for plein air painting during canoe trips into the Canadian Shield. Venturing into the rugged terrain with friends and family from G4, he carried supplies of oils, brushes, sketch pads, and canvas, capturing the natural beauty around him. While photography brought him joy, it was through painting that Dave could truly isolate and interpret the elements of nature, revealing his unique perspective within each scene.

Dave’s legacy endures through his art, which continues to inspire those who appreciate the beauty of the world as he did. Though he is no longer with us, his creative spirit lives on in the landscapes he painted and the memories he created.

Kathy George Moore


Kathy  George Moore was born and raised in Winnipeg. Throughout her life she has worked as a registered nurse, raised three daughters with her husband, and now enjoys seven grandchildren. Having always been interested in the arts, it wasn’t until eleven years ago that Kathy started painting on canvas. She has taken some instruction in drawing and painting and has a love of art history. Pottery is the latest exploration. She has paintings in watercolor, oil, alcohol ink and primarily acrylic.

Currently she is on the executive board of the Gwen Fox Gallery and is a member of the Local Colour Art group. Her inspiration for her work is drawn from a spiritual perspective of the beauty of nature and wildlife and the humour of people. 

Her paintings can be found in the Gaynor library in Selkirk, the Gwen Fox Gallery and in personal collections in Winnipeg, Florida, the Yukon and Ottawa.

Steve O’Brien 


Originally from Colorado, Steve O’Brien has been painting for over 40 years—and he’ll be the first to tell you he’s addicted. A lifelong creative and adventurer, Steve studied art at Western State University before ultimately majoring in English. But the call to paint never left him.
An entrepreneur at heart with a fearless sense of exploration, Steve has lived his life much like he paints: with bold passion and deep curiosity. His artistic journey has been shaped by the landscapes around him—from the towering 14,000-foot peaks near the Rocky Mountain National Parks to the lush, bird-filled beauty of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Now living along the Manatee River, he finds daily inspiration in the vibrant wildlife that visits just outside his window.

Steve’s work has been represented in galleries in both Colorado and Florida, and his collectors span the globe—truly making him an international artist. He describes himself as being “totally invested” when he begins a painting, drawn in by the process and driven by the joy and satisfaction that comes with each completed piece.

Olga Oresanya


Based in Prince Edward Island, Olga Oresanya’s art is a celebration of nature’s beauty. Her vibrant landscapes and striking still life compositions, often featuring flowers, pots, and vases, are characterized by rich textures and bold colours. Inspired by the intricate patterns of Nigerian Ankara fabrics, she incorporates their vivid designs into her work, adding a distinctive cultural influence. Olga believes original paintings bring warmth and character to any space, making them as unique as the stories they tell.

Website: olgaoresanyaart.ca
Instagram @olgaoresanyaart

Eric Ouimet

Eric Ouimet was raised on a farm near the small community of Ste-Agathe in southern Manitoba.  As an award winning professional graphic artist, screen printing enabled him to combine his love of design with a hands-on approach.  Eric creates unique large format acrylic pieces on wood that share similar effects and techniques as his highly popular serigraphs. All of his work present the same character and style but at scales that offer different levels of impact. Nostalgia and his love of architecture are recurring themes for the artist. His work can be appreciated in
private collections worldwide.

Eric's larger works on wood panel are available through Mayberry Fine Art in Winnipeg. Canvas Gallery in Toronto as well as Pulse Gallery in Winnipeg both have selections of
screen prints available.

website: ericouimet.com 

Marti Salerni

Marti Salerni finds endless joy in capturing the natural world through watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media. A pharmacist by profession and a self-taught artist by passion, Marti embraces the creative freedom that comes with not always knowing the “rules”—and delighting in breaking them. “I am a mere painter—the greats are artists,” she humbly says, quoting Robert Shaw, a seasoned artist from Lucca, Italy she met during their stay there.  But spend a moment with Marti’s work, and you’ll see how deeply that humility is paired with incredible talent.

Marti has been painting for over 15 years and currently calls Florida home. Her pieces have been exhibited at Island Gallery West in Florida, and her work now resides in private collections across North America, Germany, London, and Japan.

Each painting bursts with color and serves as a tribute—whether to someone she's met or a personal experience that shaped her. Her contemporary style, touched with realism, invites viewers into moments of beauty and emotion. For Marti, every brushstroke is an opportunity to learn, grow, and share a little more of her vibrant world.

Lauren Shipton

Lauren is an acrylic painter from Calgary, Alberta who explores the contemporary Canadian West through landscape and still life painting. Her work is a colour forward invitation to explore the familiar buildings, houses and objects that serve as cultural icons, representing life in Western Canada. Her work draws on the influence of traditional landscape painting, as well as the influence of design on our environment, examining the contrast between urban and rural life. Lauren received her BDes from Alberta University of the Arts where she studied graphic design and illustration. Her work looks at the role design plays in shaping our perspective of Canada. Her art + design studio, Lucky Shape is where you can find her paintings and other experiments.

Instagram: @lucky.shape
Website: luckyshape.com
Email: [email protected]

Kenneth Querel


Ken is a passionate watercolour painter with decades of experience. He discovered his love for painting at the age of 15 and has since cultivated a natural gift for capturing the world around him. Based in the picturesque Vermilion Bay, Ontario, where he and his family live, Ken finds endless inspiration in the breathtaking landscapes that surround him, from the majestic trees to the serene waters of the Canadian Shield. For Ken, a simple walk outdoors is enough to spark his creativity and ignite his artistic spirit.

Specializing in watercolour, Ken appreciates the medium's portability, allowing him to create wherever his travels take him. His works reflect the beauty of nature, often featuring intricate details that challenge and excite him. Ken thrives on pushing his artistic boundaries, meticulously rendering the scenery that inspires him most. As Ken states, "I paint because I love the challenge of every different difficult painting".

Whether painting the tranquil landscapes of Ontario or the vibrant scenes of Mexico, Ken’s art is a testament to his deep connection with the natural world and his dedication to his craft. 

Terry Wilson

Terry Wilson, an artist born and raised in the state of Maine, channels her deep love for both the craft of painting and the stunning landscapes of her home into each of her works. Her pieces capture not only her personal connection to the beauty of Maine but also the spirit of adventure that defines her family's experiences in the region. Through each brushstroke, Terry invites viewers to explore the breathtaking vistas, coastal charm, and serene wilderness that make Maine a unique and cherished destination. Her artwork is a heartfelt tribute to the "Vacationland" she calls home, and her hope is to share the magic of the state with others, one painting at a time.

Facebook: MainePointofView
Instagram: @MainePointofView

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